Stay Report: Hyatt Casablanca (Morocco - December 2011)

Stay Report: Hyatt Casablanca
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I was visiting Morocco and when I was in Casablanca, I was looking for a hotel that was both central to many attractions as well as had easy access to various sights.  In my search, I came across the Hyatt Casablanca which is a nice full-scale hotel in the middle of Casablanca and close to many sites.  The hotel is situated in downtown Casablanca and right next to the main bazaar, so it was easy and convenient location.  Even if the cab driver was unfamiliar with the Hyatt (which was extremely rare), they all knew of the bazaar and it was a quick walk from the bazaar to the hotel.   The hotel entrance was on the main street, whereas the bazaar’s entrance was the side street. 

The hotel is very large and grandiose from the outside, but it looks a bit dated – it is not the most up-to-date hotel.   Upon entering the hotel, on the right is the taxi and car service stand while on the left is the check-in desks.  In the middle is a lounge area whose seats were very comfortable – and almost always full of people relaxing and having tea at the Hyatt.  We had tea there and the service is a bit slow, and the air a bit smoky, but it’s a nice place to relax and people watch.  The lounge chairs led into the restaurant area where a breakfast buffet was served each morning.  The breakfast buffet was not overly extensive but provided enough options for a good morning breakfast.  Right next to the check-in desk was an ATM and this was the only banking service provided in the hotel. 

Check-in was smooth and we received our key and straight passed the restaurant to the elevators to our room.  There are two sets of elevators on either side of the hotel and both lead to guest rooms.   One set of elevator is right next to the check-in desks, while the other set of elevators is on the other side of the lobby, next to the restaurant.   The set of elevators next to the lobby were usually busy so it was nice to have another set of elevators to have. 

Taking the elevators to the room, we entered a long hallway and made our way to the room.  I had booked two rooms each with two double beds.  When entering the room, on the right hand side was the closet while on the left hand side was the bathroom.   The closet was big and expansive and provided robes and a safe.  The bathroom on the other side was very big and expansive.  In addition to the standard amenities, the bathroom had a tub and a shower.  Beyond the bathroom were the two beds, which were very big and comfortable.  Across from the bed was a dresser with a TV on top of it, and next to that was a desk.  All of the furniture, both in the room and in the bathroom, was decorated in in a very museum or royal style with a lot of fancy treatments.  The main attraction of the room, in addition to the large size, was the window which faced the main street.  It was very nice to look out the window and see the city pass on buy.  The street was somewhat busy in the morning and evening but no noise was able to be heard in the room. 

The hotel is a full-service hotel so there were many facilities available for the guests.  These include a restaurant and lounge, where breakfast was served in the morning; an ATM machine within the hotel; an outdoor pool; a fitness center and spa; and complimentary wifi.  There was also a concierge available to assist with restaurant recommendations as well as connect with taxi drivers.  While all the facilities were generally good, the negative was that the hotel was not willing to negotiate with the taxi drivers.  Negotiation on prices is a common practice, especially in Morocco, and usually where this is a common practice other hotels have provide this service to their guests; this was not provided and it was not appreciated. 

Despite that, overall it was a nice stay in Casablanca.  Positives of the hotel include a nice, comfortable, and spacious room that is central in location and is well-known.  The facilities of the hotel, especially the breakfast buffet, were also nice.  Negatives of the hotel included the older façade and the lack of the concierge to negotiate with the taxis.